“There’s something special about moseying out country roads instead of roaring through on an interstate.”

There is something special about driving on a two-lane blacktop in the fall. First, you’re forced to slow down…especially in West Virginia. There are a lot of 15 to 20 to 25mph turns in these parts. Beyond safety issues is the sheer beauty around every curve. 

I love how the leaves fall in a shower of gold and red light in the sun. I love how the car in front of you stirs them up into a whirlwind that splashes on your windshield as you drive through them. I love how the the denuded trees cast lines on the roadway making it seem to glitter and shimmer as the miles fly under your wheels.

“Autumn Glow Lights up the R-Pod”

I camped the last two nights at a park hardly anyone knows about and I’d almost like to keep it that way. Except…it’s so uber cool, I just have to share. I’ve written about Calhoun County Park before. Mr. FixIt and I took a drive out here once and took pictures of the Heritage Village…a collection of buildings that were transported here and restored. There’s an old general store, a school house, a church, and a post office among others. The post office was from Freed…not too far from Grandma’s farm. Grandma introduced me to some of the Freed family.

“How many times have you seen this come on…right in front of the dealership?!?!”

I was heading through Marietta, Ohio yesterday afternoon on my way from one campground to the next. My preferred Ford dealer is there and as I was driving by, I got “the nudge”. The thought went through my mind…“Check your engine light!” Literally…I was right in front of the dealership when I looked down and…

“It looks like we will finally get a little color after all!”

I stayed an extra night at Beaver Creek State Park so I’d have an uninterrupted stretch of writing time. The other Girl Campers left Sunday, but my friend Gail is the Camp Host for Beaver Creek so she stayed to keep me company. In the past I have dreaded autumn because winter comes right after. But autumn…sweet autumn. The time of harvests and gold, apples and honey. Crispy, crunchy autumn…I’ve come to love it!

“The curtain closes on another successful Fall What-a-Hoot!”

What a FUN event we had this weekend at the Fourth Annual Fall What-a-Hoot at Beaver Creek State Park with the Girl Campers! OMGosh…we ate and laughed and knitted and crafted. We sat around the campfire every night and talked and talked and talked. We toured each other’s campers. We broke in a newbie. We hugged and prayed and praised.

“Even with a compact, kitchen, cooking in the RPod is really easy.”

Saturday is Soup Day at What a Hoot. The Girl Campers gather at Beaver Creek State Park in the spring and fall…both wonderful times to camp and both offering cool nights when a hot mug of soup is most welcome. Yesterday morning it was all of forty-one degrees when I woke up. The perfect day to get out the crockpot and make something yummy.

“Converting the sofa to a spare bed in the RPod 196!”

I’m Back!!! Mr. FixIt and I had a wonderful time camping together and the little break was just what I needed to recharge. There’s nothing like being in the woods in a little camper. Losing Mr. Virgo taught me to really appreciate every moment and this week has been grand!

On Monday, we checked into Tomlinson Run State Park in the tippy top of the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. The drive up was lovely as we followed the Ohio River on Rt. 7. Mr. FixIt drove separately and followed along behind me. We got to our campsite by mid-afternoon and unhooked. It’s a lovely campground, located on top of a hill and densely wooded. The sites are all nicely spaced apart from each other. We had electric but no water. That’s not a problem, really. You just use the water you carry with you in your fresh water tanks. We rode our bikes around the campground, we cooked outside, and we spent as much time as we could sitting out looking at the stars.

“Pete’s Pizza…best pizza EVER! Located in Mineral Wells, WV on Old Rt. 14.”

 When Daughter #1 and her husband lived on Long Island, we visited her as often as we could. We took the train into the city and had great pizza and bagels. When I visited my aunt and uncle in Chicago, we had some really great pizza. We found a place last night that literally blew everything else out of the water.

“The week in review…dressing up the dinner table, camping like a girl in the RPod 196.”

The crisp nights of fall lend themselves to camping in a big way. The days are still plenty warm to enjoy outdoor activities and the nights are cool enough to sleep well. I love to spend the evening around a campfire…to slide the windows in the camper open and pile on the warm blankets. There’s nothing like making memories in the golden light of fall!

“Leaving love notes behind for your spouse to find later…what a gift!”

My friends and I camped at Beaver Creek State Park last night. We so seldom get together, just the three of us and when we do it’s always so special. It’s always tempting to stay up really late and sleep in the next day, but Janine and I both had long drives home. We called it a night fairly early and were up and ready for coffee by 8:00. We chatted over a leisurely breakfast and prayed for each other before we finally broke camp by 11:00. I pulled in to the Ponderosa around 4:00, dropped off the camper, and turned right around to go back to town for small group. I’m not signed up for this session, but I wanted to visit and share in the fellowship with dear friends from church.